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PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
95 family farms honored with the historic Hoosier Homestead Award
INDIANAPOLIS (August 14, 2025) - Yesterday, August 13, at the Indiana State Fair,
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Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith and
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Indiana State Department of Agriculture (ISDA) Director Don Lamb presented95 farming families with a Hoosier Homestead Award in recognition of their commitment to Indiana agriculture.

“Indiana’s economy and heritage is built upon agriculture,” said Lt. Gov. Beckwith, Secretary of Agriculture and Rural Development. “It is an honor to be able to recognize these farming family and celebrate their enduring legacy.”

To be named a Hoosier Homestead, farms must be owned by the same family for more than 100 consecutive years and consist of more than 20 acres. If less than 20 acres, the farm must produce more than $1,000 of agricultural products per year. Indiana farms may qualify for three honors: Centennial Award for 100 years of ownership, Sesquicentennial Award for 150 years of ownership and the Bicentennial Award for 200 years of ownership.


Since the program's inception in 1976, over 6,200 families have received the Hoosier Homestead Award. Often, a Hoosier Homestead farm is easily recognized because most recipients proudly display their awarded sign on their property.

“I am continually inspired by the long-established farming families that are recognized during the Hoosier Homestead ceremonies,” said Don Lamb, Director of the Indiana State Department of Ag. “I personally know the amount of commitment and dedication needed to keep a farm in the family for 100 years or more. I thank each one for their devotion to the agriculture industry and their loyalty to the state of Indiana.”

During the ceremonies, eight Indiana farms received the Bicentennial Award for 200 years of continuous ownership: the Spillman family from Decatur county, the Michael B. McConnell family from Gibson county, the Chastain family from Montgomery county, the Runyan family from Montgomery county, the Robert M. Stwalley Jr. family from Montgomery county, the Dobson family from Putnam county, the Meal family from Rush county and the Dennis and Sue Briggs family from Switzerland county.


Below is a list of the Hoosier Homestead Award recipients honored during the summer 2025 ceremony:


CountyAward NameAward YearAward Type
AdamsHirschy1924Centennial
AllenHille1875Sesquicentennial
BartholomewDonald D. Voelz 1875Sesquicentennial
BartholomewGary and Nancy Meyer1871Centennial & Sesquicentennial
BartholomewMensendiek1868Centennial & Sesquicentennial
BartholomewC & M Arnholt Family Farm1901Centennial
BentonWatkins - Center - Berenda 1892Centennial
BentonWatkins - Center - Berenda 1892Centennial
BentonWoodlock I Sparenberg1875Sesquicentennial
BlackfordMiles1919Centennial
BrownJohn C. and Susan R. Parsley1837Sesquicentennial
CarrollSunnybrook Farm, George & Mary Flora1875Sesquicentennial
ClarkHagest1901Centennial
ClaySeymour1885Centennial
DaviessFuhrman1909Centennial
DearbornConnolly - Hartman1924Centennial
DecaturSpillman1825Centennial, Sesquicentennial & Bicentennial
DeKalbCarnahan1917Centennial
DelawareCary1919Centennial
DelawareCary1919Centennial
DelawareWhitehead1910Centennial
DuboisHochgesang1905Centennial
DuboisNeukam1913Centennial
DuboisVerkamp1871Centennial & Sesquicentennial
FountainMunson1908Centennial
FranklinMeyer1863Centennial & Sesquicentennial
GibsonMichael B. McConnell1819Bicentennial
GibsonBallard-Reinbrecht1839Centennial & Sesquicentennial
GibsonUnfried1906Centennial
GrantLeisure1875Centennial & Sesquicentennial
GrantJarvis-Cox1885Centennial
GrantFerree1920Centennial
HamiltonKlingensmith1854Centennial & Sesquicentennial
HamiltonH.C. 'Cad' Goff / Linda Kay Rockwell1905Centennial
HarrisonLeffler1874Sesquicentennial
HarrisonMartin1914Centennial
HuntingtonKarst1871Sesquicentennial
JacksonDuwe1850Centennial & Sesquicentennial
JacksonHoltman1878Centennial
JacksonHoltman / Eggersman / Liggett1890Centennial
JasperDaugherty / Hayworth1918Centennial
JayEzra Rines1924Centennial
JohnsonJones I Norton1871Sesquicentennial
KosciuskoCarlin1838Sesquicentennial
KosciuskoCreighton1870Centennial & Sesquicentennial
KosciuskoCreighton1922Centennial
LakeOldendorf1851Sesquicentennial
LaPorteHarder / Patek1871Centennial & Sesquicentennial
LaPorteGillham1861Centennial & Sesquicentennial
MadisonWolfgang1880Centennial
MarshallSmith1922 Centennial
MontgomeryChastain1824Bicentennial
MontgomeryRobert D. Hayes & Bernice Hayes Farms, Inc.1836Sesquicentennial
MontgomeryRunyan1831Centennial & Sesquicentennial
MontgomeryRunyan1831Centennial & Sesquicentennial
MontgomeryRunyan1920Centennial
MontgomeryRunyan1825Centennial, Sesquicentennial & Bicentennial
MontgomeryRunyan1845Centennial & Sesquicentennial
MontgomeryRobert M. Stwalley Jr.1825Sesquicentennial & Bicentennial
MorganMcGinnis1898Centennial
MorganShumaker1826Centennial & Sesquicentennial
MorganJohn Gregory1897Centennial
NobleSimmons1851 Sesquicentennial
PerryEpple1907Centennial
PerryHanloh I Boerste I LaGrange1858Centennial & Sesquicentennial
PikeMeyer1895Centennial
PorterKuehl1874Sesquicentennial
PoseyReibel1919Centennial
PoseyRitzert1875 Centennial & Sesquicentennial
PulaskiMalchow1915Centennial
PutnamDobson1822Centennial, Sesquicentennial & Bicentennial
PutnamKeller1924Centennial
RipleyBraunagel1872Centennial & Sesquicentennial
RipleyRea1923Centennial
RushBall1924Centennial
RushHarcourt I Boring I Carrigan1857Centennial & Sesquicentennial
RushMeal1825Bicentennial
SpencerHurm1915Centennial
St. JosephStuart Beehler1889Centennial
StarkeSanders1921Centennial
SwitzerlandDennis & Sue Briggs1825Sesquicentennial & Bicentennial
TippecanoeByers1865Centennial & Sesquicentennial
TippecanoeLachmund1892Centennial
TippecanoeSteckel-Burkhalter-Miller-Dinges-Ruch1875Sesquicentennial
VermillionHelt Farms1921Centennial
VigoHofmann (Cottom Corner)1918Centennial
WabashBlocher1921Centennial
WabashWilcox1913Centennial
WarrenFink / Beason1893Centennial
WarrickDeller1923Centennial
WellsMike Gilbert I Vicki Haviland1838Sesquicentennial
WellsHedges (Stewart / Wisner)1900Centennial
WellsSpringer1921Centennial
WellsMary Lou Wilcock1849Centennial & Sesquicentennial
WhitleyKile1875Sesquicentennial




To view photos from the August 2025 Hoosier Homestead Award Ceremony at the Indiana State Fair,
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click here .

###

ABOUT ISDA
The
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Indiana State Department of Agriculture (ISDA) reports to
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Lt. Governor Micah Beckwith , Indiana’s Secretary of Agriculture and Rural Development. Major responsibilities include advocacy for Indiana agriculture at the local, state and federal level, managing soil conservation programs, promoting economic development and agricultural innovation, serving as a regulatory ombudsman for agricultural businesses, and licensing grain firms throughout the state.



ISDA Media Contact:

Regan Herr

Phone: 317.552.9281

Email:
mailto:[email protected]
[email protected]



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